Acclaimed director Matthew Warchus is to succeed Kevin Spacey as Artistic Director of one of London's oldest theatres, The Old Vic. Warchus will take up the role in the autumn of 2015 when Spacey, currently in his 10th year as Artistic Director, steps down.

Matthew Warchus is currently an Artistic Associate at The Old Vic having directed a number of productions there, most recently in 2008 when he directed Spacey and Jeff Goldblum in Speed-the-Plow and also a revival of Alan Ayckbourn's trilogy, The Norman Conquests. Matthew has now mounted over 70 productions in London and on Broadway, from new plays to classics, modern revivals, musicals and operas.

His current work includes the hit musical Matilda and the upcoming feature film Pride.

Nick Clarry, Chairman of The Old Vic Theatre Trust commented: "We are delighted to have appointed an Artistic Director with the talent and track record of Matthew Warchus. This is a key appointment for The Old Vic, building on the many achievements of Kevin Spacey since 2004. We believe that the next few years will be a very exciting time for The Old Vic. Our goals are to continue to develop our artistic programme under Matthew's leadership, to continue with our outreach work, to establish an endowment fund, and then to redevelop our historic building after the Bicentenary in 2018."

Kevin Spacey, Artistic Director, The Old Vic said: "I couldn't be happier that my friend Matthew Warchus has agreed to take the reins at The Old Vic next year. I have long admired his work and had a wonderful experience when we worked together on Speed-the-Plow. Matthew is a thoughtful, intuitive and highly creative director and he has rightly been applauded for his work, in particular the quality and diversity of his portfolio. I know he loves our theatre and I am delighted for our staff, our audiences and for our acting and production communities that he will be its next guardian."

Matthew Warchus said: "I am excited and honoured to be following Kevin's galvanising tenure at this wonderful building. He has re-established The Old Vic as a globally important theatre and I look forward to continuing to develop it as a hub of invigorating creativity."

The Old Vic is currently presenting Other Desert Cities, before Kevin Spacey returns to the stage in a one man show, Clarence Darrow, opening 28 May.